NEW DELHI: In 2023, the then Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Najma Akhtar, made a major announcement that sparked hope and excitement within the university and among medical aspirants: the launch of a full-fledged medical college, with admissions expected to begin as early as 2024.
Nearly two years later, the promise remains unfulfilled, with no visible signs of construction or official updates on the project.
The ambitious plan, aimed at bringing Jamia on par with other central universities housing medical institutions, was touted as a step forward in expanding access to quality medical education. However, as of mid-2025, there is little to suggest that any groundwork—figuratively or literally—has been laid.
“No construction has started. No announcements, no tenders, no official circulars. We don’t even know if the plan is alive anymore,” said a senior faculty member on condition of anonymity. Najma Akhtar had proposed setting up the medical college within the campus as an eight-storey building, previously referred to as the ‘Health Sciences Building.’ Before her retirement, she announced that the work was in progress.
She also revealed that the university had reserved five acres of land near Jasola for a 150-bedded hospital. The medical college and the hospital could be at different locations, and ideally, the hospital should be away from the university premises due to hygiene concerns. The former Vice Chancellor had intended to have the project framework ready before leaving office.
Attempts to reach current Vice Chancellor Mazhar Asif for comments went unanswered. Meanwhile, students and staff have grown increasingly skeptical. Setting up a medical college in India requires approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC), along with infrastructure, faculty appointments, and substantial funding.
In March 2023, the Education Ministry informed the Lok Sabha that it had received a letter of intent from JMI.